Gang Mower with Reel Mower Cutting Units

ABSTRACT

A mower for turf or lawn includes a frame for use on a tractor, or to form a structure of a trailer, and a plurality of cutting units, at least six, generally disposed side by side, each cutting unit including at least one roller for rolling on the ground. The mower includes lift means linking the cutting units to the frame and configured for articulating the cutting units between a mowing position and a non-mowing position. In the mowing position, the lift means are configured for pressing the cutting units against the ground in order to distribute, at least partially, the mower&#39;s weight on the ground via the rollers of the cutting units. The mower includes lateral articulated beams linking the cutting units. The beams are foldable inwardly and forwardly.

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/888,493, filed 2 Nov. 2015, titled “Gang Mower with ReelMower Cutting Units,” which is a U.S. National-Stage application under35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2014/058988,filed 2 May 2014, titled “Gang Mower with Reel Mower Cutting Units,”which claimed priority to European Patent Application No. 13166555.6,filed 3 May 2013, titled “Gang Mower with Reel Mower Cutting Units,” allof which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Application

The present application relates to a mower comprising a large number ofcutting units with rollers. The present application also relates to aprocess for folding a mower.

2. Description of Related Art

In order to increase its mowing capacity, a lawn mower is provided witha plurality of cutting units. These cutting units are positioned side byside in order to provide the broadest width of work as possible. Eachcutting unit comprises rotating blades, a casing in order to stopprojectiles thrown by the blades, wheels engaging the ground andeventually an engine to rotate the blades. With all these components,each cutting unit is heavy, and a plurality of heavy cutting unitsrepresents an important load.

Gang mowers generally comprise a frame that extends laterally in orderto connect the cutting units. The cutting units are mounted on the frameand are articulated between a cutting position and a rest position.Thus, the frame has to bear the weight of cutting units when they are inthe rest position. In mowing position, the frame also has to withstandshocks due to unevenness of the ground, or due to curt manoeuvers, oreventually the presence of blocks on the grass forming a hurdle.

The broader the frame is, the higher the frame is strained. For thisreason, when the mower comprises a plurality of cutting units, forinstance more than ten, the frame needs to be peculiarly resistant. Thisneed of resistance implies to conceive a heavy frame. The frame ismounted on wheels that are configured to bear the weight of the mower,including the weight of the frame, and of cutting units.

The document U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,044 A discloses a mowing device with aframe and a plurality of cutting units. Each cutting unit is linked tothe frame by means of chains and lift means. The frame shows anelongated shape and may be pulled by a tractor. The frame is configuredin order to be disposed transversally to the drive direction of thetractor. The frame relies on a plurality of pairs of wheels who aredistributed along the frame. The wheels engage the ground and bear theweight of the frame. However, these wheels may damage the grass due totheir number and to the weight they support. In particular, turf rollersproduction requires mowing frequently the grass sprout even when theyare young and consequently weak. The frequency of passages of the wheelswill damage the grass culture and reduce the quality of turf rollers.Damages may be more important when the mower follows curves or turnssharply. For instance, wheels may create some notches on the turf. Whenthe mower turns, the wheels exert shear strains at their interface withthe turf. These strains damage the crop.

Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,773 discloses a mower for mowing a wideswath. The mower includes side-by-side wings to which a plurality ofcutting units are mounted, the most distal unit being mounted on ahorizontally pivoting swing-arm, which is mounted to a horizontallypivoting strut. The strut is pivotally mounted on the front of a frameof the mower and under control of a hydraulic cylinder to facilitatemowing operations, and in particular, to allow mowing close toobstacles. This mower shows however some limitations in the weight andlength of the struts, essentially in that the frame might becomeunstable when operating long and heavy struts carrying the cuttingunits.

Although great strides have been made in the area of mowers havingmultiple cutting units, many shortcomings remain.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an aerial view of a mower according to the presentapplication in mowing configuration.

FIG. 2 represents a lateral view of a first operation for folding themower according to the present application.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of the mower according to the presentapplication in a first intermediate step.

FIG. 4 represents a lateral view of a second operation for folding themower according to the present application in transport configuration.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the third operation for folding the moweraccording to the present application.

FIG. 6 represents a lateral view of the mower according to the presentapplication.

FIG. 7 represents a front view of a cutting unit according to thepresent application.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present application provides a solution to at least one of theaforementioned problems, more particularly to provide a large mowingcapacity while reducing the risk of damaging a turf with a mower.

The present application consists in a mower comprising a frame intendedto be implemented on a tractor, or to form a structure of a trailer, atleast height cutting units generally disposed side by side, each cuttingunit comprising at least one roller intended to roll on the ground, liftmeans linking the cutting units to the frame and configured for movingthe cutting units between a mowing position and a non-mowing position,remarkable in that, in the mowing position, the lift means areconfigured for pressing the cutting units against the ground in order todistribute, at least partially, the mower's weight on the ground via therollers of the cutting units.

In an alternative embodiment of the present application, the abovefeature relating to the lift means may be replaced by any of thefollowing features.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, eachroller extends on the width of the corresponding cutting unit,preferably the rollers cover at least 90% of the width of the mower.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thecutting units are reel mowing cutting units with a set of helicoidallyblades, said mower comprising at least twelve cutting units, preferablyat least eighteen cutting units, more preferably at least twenty threecutting units.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thelift means link independently each cutting unit to the frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thelift means comprise at least one crank linked to the frame and to acutting unit, preferably the lift means comprise a plurality of cranks,each of which is linked to the frame and to a cutting unit.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thelift means comprise at least one actuator linked to the frame anddirectly or indirectly to a cutting unit, preferably the lift meanscomprise a plurality of actuators, each of which is linked to the frameand directly or indirectly to a cutting unit.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, themajority of the cutting units are disposed in order to transversallyoverlap their closest neighbor, preferably the majority of the cuttingunits are disposed along two axes forming a “V” in a top view.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, theframe comprises at least one beam, preferably two beams mainly extendingtransversally in the mowing configuration; preferably the cutting unitsare in majority linked to the at least one beam, eventually in themowing configuration the beams are mounted in a cantilever fashion.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, eachbeam is pivotally mounted on the frame as to be foldable to a positionalong a longitudinal axis of said frame, preferably in a forwarddirection and/or an inward direction.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, eachbeam comprises a lateral portion and a central portion which are alignedin the mowing configuration; preferably in the transport configurationthe lateral portion of each beam is folded back over the top of thecorresponding central portion.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, theframe comprises a longitudinal portion that mainly extendslongitudinally and shows a front end and a rear end, preferably thecutting units are linked to the frame through the rear half of theelongated portion, more preferably the cutting units are linked to theframe through the rear end of the elongated portion.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, inthe mowing configuration the cutting units are generally longitudinallydistributed along the longitudinal portion, preferably the cutting unitsare longitudinally distributed on more than the length of thelongitudinal portion, eventually at least one cutting unit is linked tothe longitudinal portion of the frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, themower comprises a set of wheels pivotally fixed to the frame, preferablythe mower is elongated, the wheels being fixed to the frame in thevicinity of the rear end of the frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, inthe transport configuration, the majority of the cutting units are abovethe wheels of the mower, preferably the frame comprises an axle joiningthe wheel to the frame, the cutting units are generally transversallyabove the axle.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, theframe comprises a hub to which the beams are linked, and a raisemechanism for lifting the hub from the mowing configuration to thetransport configuration, preferably at least one cutting unit is linkedto the raise mechanism and/or at least one cutting unit is linked to thehub.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, eachcutting unit comprises two lateral skids able to slide on the groundwhen the associated cutting unit is in mowing position.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, eachroller extends on at least 90% of the width of the bladed cylinder ofthe associated cutting unit, preferably at least 100%, more preferablyat least 105%.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thediameter of the rollers is superior to 4.00 cm, preferably superior to6.00 cm, more preferably superior to 9.00 cm.

This feature increases the contact area between each roller and theground, and then decreases the strain applied by each roller on theground. Hence, grass sprouts will be less crushed by the passage of aroller, which is an important point since rollers are supposed to bearthe weight of the frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, eachroller's length is superior to its diameter, preferably its length isten times superior to its diameter, more preferably its length is twentytimes superior to its diameter.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, atleast one actuator of the lift means is linked to a crank and to theframe, preferably each actuator of the lift means is linked to a crankand to the frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, theactuators are hydraulic cylinders.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, inthe mowing configuration, the lift means are configured in a way toarticulate the cutting units along longitudinal axes.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thelift means are configured for supporting the frame's weight on therollers of the mower.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, theframe is generally rigid, preferably the frame can show elasticdeformations of one of its extremities in respect of the otherextremities of less than 5 cm, preferably less than 3 cm, morepreferably less than 1 cm. Higher deformations are plastic deformations.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thebeams comprise locking means for preventing them to pivot relatively toeach other.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, themower comprises an axle joining the wheels to the frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thebeams are hollow.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thebeams are made of metallic material, preferably of welded steel sheets.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thebeams show an outward thickness reduction.

This feature ensures an increased rigidity at the center of the mowerand weight savings.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thewheels of the mower are main wheels, in the transport configuration themain wheels support the majority of the mower's weight and/or in themowing configuration the main wheels support the minority of the mower'sweight.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, themower essentially comprises two wheels, preferably the two wheels arethe main wheels.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thewheels of the mower are disposed in a transversally central position.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, inmajority, the cutting units are longitudinally regularly spaced alongthe frame.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thedisposition of the cutting units generally shows symmetry according to alongitudinal and vertical plan.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thecutting units are disposed side by side transversally.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, inthe transport configuration the beams are placed above the wheels.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, inthe transport configuration the cutting units are in the non-mowingposition in respect with the frame.

The present application also relates to a process for folding a moweraccording to the present application from a mowing configuration to atransport configuration, the process comprising a first operation oflifting the cutting units and folding the lateral portions back over thetops on the central portions, a second operation of lifting the centralportions and the lateral portions, and a third operation of pivotingforwardly the lateral portions and the central portions.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, inthe second operation the cutting units of the lateral portions arelifted above the wheels.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the present application, thethird operation and the first operation may be inverted, then theoperation of lifting the cutting unit of the first operation becomesoptional.

The present application permits, in the mowing configuration, totransfer part of the weight of the frame of the mower to the rollers ofthe cutting units instead of to the wheels. When the mower isimplemented on a tractor, it permits to transfer part of the tractor'sweight on the rollers.

The present application affords to reduce the number and/or the size ofthe wheels of the mower, since in the mowing configuration the frame'sweight is supported by rollers instead of these wheels. The presentapplication permits to reduce the width of the wheels which reduces theshear strains generated by the wheels when the mower turns.

During mowing operation mown grass is projected and forms blocks on rearcuttings units. These blocks may fall from cutting units and reduces thequality of turf. The “V” configuration of the cutting units reduces theblock formation since a front cutting unit is just ahead of a singlecutting unit instead of two.

The present application provides a smart solution for engineering a widegang mower that becomes thin in the transport configuration. The presentapplication also reduces the overall length of the mower in thetransport configuration.

In the coming description the orientation used corresponds to theorientation shown by the cutting unit shows in mowing configuration. Themower is considered to stand on a flat ground.

The FIG. 1 illustrates a mower 2 according to the present application.The mower 2 is seen in an aerial view. The mower may be a vehicle. Themower may be a trailer. The mower may be pulled by a tractor 4, or mayeventually be an implement mounted on the frame of a tractor, theimplement being carried by the tractor's wheels.

The mower 2 comprises at least six cutting units 6, preferably at leasteighteen cutting units 6. The cutting units 6 are generally arrangedside by side. They generally form alignments. They are generallyarranged on two main axes that form a kind of letter “V”. Some cuttingunits may be placed outside the alignments.

The mower comprises a frame 8. The frame 8 comprises at least one beam10, preferably two beams 10. The beams 10 principally extendtransversally. They also extend longitudinally, preferably forward. Thebeams 10 may extend longitudinally in opposite directions, andlongitudinally in the same direction. They are tilted regarding atransversal axis 11. Each beam 10 forms an angle a with the transversalaxis 11 that is comprised between 5° and 60°, preferably comprisedbetween 15° and 50°, more preferably comprised between 30° and 40°. Thecutting units 6 are linked to the beams 10. Some cutting units 6 may besettled longitudinally at the level of the tractor 4. This featureincreases the maneuverability of the mower 2 and the tractor. It alsopermits to settle forward the center of gravity of the mower.

The frame comprises a longitudinal portion 12. The longitudinal portion12 is elongated. The longitudinal portion 12 length is superior to threetimes the width of a cutting unit, preferably five times. Thelongitudinal portion 12 is transversally placed in a central position.It extends on the majority of the mower's length. The mower 2 alsocomprises wheels 14. It may comprise wheels 14 linked to the rear halfof the longitudinal portion 12, preferably linked at the rear extremityof the elongated portion. Preferably, the gravity centers of the beams10 are before the wheels 14.

The mower 2 may comprise a hub 16 that connects the beams to thelongitudinal portion 12. The mower 2 may comprise lift means for liftingthe beams from a mowing configuration to a transport configuration.

The hub 16 can support cutting unit(s) 6 disposed centrally as to coverat the least the width of the frame 12, or at least the width of theframe 12 and the wheels 14. This or these cutting units can be arrangedat the rear of the hub 16.

The mower is essentially wide, it may extend on more than ten meters.The mower is wider than the tractor 4, at least two times preferablyfour times. Hence, it needs to be foldable in order to reduce its widthand to respect road regulation in matter of width of a vehicle. Thefollowing figures depict the steps for folding the mower in a transportconfiguration.

The FIG. 2 is a side view of a first operation for folding the mower'sframe. The mower 2 is towed by a tractor 4 that is partiallyrepresented.

Each beam 10 comprises a plurality of portion. It preferably comprises acentral portion 20 and a lateral portion 22 that are aligned. They maybe linked to each other by pivot means 24 that may show horizontal pivotaxes. The pivot means 24 may comprise a pivot junction associated witheach beam 10. Each pivot junction shows a pivot axis that isperpendicular to its respective beam 10.

The pivot means 24 may comprise rotary engines (not represented).Alternatively, the pivot means 24 comprises actuators, like hydraulicactuators, and are eventually completed by levers.

The first operation consists in retracting the lateral portions 22 ofthe beams 10. The lateral portions 22 are folded up. The lateralportions 22 are switched from a forward position toward a rearwardposition.

During the first operation, each lateral portion 22 is pivoted inrespect of his respective central portion 20 of substantially a halfturn. Each lateral portion 22 is pivoted of an angle comprised between160° and 200°, preferably an angle comprised between 170° and 190°, morepreferably an angle comprised between 175° and 185°.

In the meantime, the cutting units 6 are placed in a non-mowingposition. The non-mowing position may be a rest position. They are awayfrom the ground 26. They no longer engage the ground 26. In analternative embodiment of the present application, the cutting units 6may reach their non-mowing position before or after the lateral portionsare pivoted.

The FIG. 3 shows a side view of the mower 2 in a first intermediate stepduring the folding of the frame 8.

At this moment, the lateral portions 22 are placed back over the top oftheir respective central portions 20. Then, these portions (20, 22) arestacked. The portions are still in a “V” configuration. The stackedportions are still disposed laterally to the wheels 14. They are at theheight of the wheels 14. The lateral portions extend along the centralportions.

The FIG. 4 represents a second operation for folding mower 2 which isseen laterally.

The mower 2 is represented with his longitudinal portion 12, the hub 16and the raise mechanism 18, the beams are not represented. At least onecutting unit 6 is linked to the raise mechanism 18 and/or at least onecutting unit 6 is linked to the hub 16. Preferably, the mower 2comprises one cutting unit linked to the hub 16 transversally in acentral position, and two cutting units linked also to the hub 16 andtransversally disposed laterally to the central cutting unit of theraise mechanism. These three cutting units 6 are not settled in thegeneral alignment of the cutting units 6 linked to the beams 10.

The hub 16 is linked to the longitudinal portion 12 by the raisemechanism. For this purpose, the later comprises a set of arms 28 thatare pivotally linked to the longitudinal portion 12 and to the hub 16.The arms 28 may be substantially parallel. During the second operation,the arms 28 are pivoted upwardly of at least 10°, preferably at least30°, more preferably at least 60°.

The raise mechanism 18 may comprise a lower arm 28 and an upper arm 28.The upper arm and the lower arm may show a trapezoidal shape or arectangular shape. Each arm 28 presents a width in the continuity of thelongitudinal portion and of the hub respectively.

The raise mechanism 18 also comprises an actuator 30, like a hydraulicactuator. When the actuator retracts 30, the hub 16 is lifted. Thisactuator 30 may be relied to the arms 28. It can eventually be linked tothe longitudinal portion 12 at one end, and to the hub at the other end.The raise mechanism 18 is configured for lifting the beams 10 whilstgenerally keeping their orientation.

The raise mechanism 18 permits to lift the beams 10 above the wheels 14.In particular, the central portions 20 are lifted above the wheels 14.More peculiarly, the cutting units 6 linked under the central portions20 are lifted above the wheels. At the end of the second operation, themower 2 still extends on a broad area.

The FIG. 5 shows a third operation for folding the beams 10. The mower 2is seen in a top view.

In this operation, the central portions 20 of the beams 10 are pivotedinwardly. They are pivoted in a forward direction. The central portions20 are linked to the hub through rotation means 32. The rotation means32 may rotate around generally vertical axis. These axes may besubstantially tilted forwardly in order to bring down the forwardextremities of the central portions 20. The rotation means 32advantageously comprise actuators (not represented), like hydraulicactuators.

During the third operation, each central portion 20 is pivoted inwardlyof an angle comprised between 5° and 90°, preferably an angle comprisedbetween 20° and 70°, more preferably an angle comprised between 40° and60°. At the end of this operation, the mower 2 reaches the transportconfiguration.

The FIG. 6 presents a side view of the transport configuration of themower 2.

In this configuration, the beams 10 as a whole are placed above thewheels 14. The cutting units linked to the beams are also above thewheels. As we can notice on this picture, the fact that the beamscomprise several portions permits to reduce the overall length of themower 2 in its transport configuration. Then, the mower 2 is easier topull. It also requires less area for parking.

The raise mechanism 18 for lifting the hub 16 may be configured toslightly incline the stacked portions 22 and 20. The forward extremityof the stacked portions may be inclined downwardly in order to lower thecenter of gravity of the mower 2. Consequently, the stability of themower is increased in spite of its height.

In the transport configuration, the mower 2 is less than 2.50 m width.Its height is less than 4.00 m, preferably less than 3.50 m high, morepreferably less than 2.50 m high.

The FIG. 7 represents a cutting unit 6 according to the presentapplication.

The cutting unit 6 may be a reel mower cutting unit. The cutting unit 6comprises a casing 36 that forms a shell. The cutting unit alsocomprises a cylinder 38 provided with at least one blade 40, preferablyseveral blades 40 that are distributed around the cylinder 38. The bladeor the blades 40 show a helicoidally shape. This shape describes aspiral around the cylinder. The bladed cylinder 38 may be hollow. It ispivotally articulated with respect to the casing 36. The width of thebladed cylinder 38 is at least 60 cm, preferably at least 80 cm, morepreferably at least 100 cm.

Each blade 40 shows a sharp outer edge. During mowing, the bladedcylinder 38 turns in a way that throws mowed lawn backward. The skilledperson in the art is able to recognize the mowing direction of the mowerconsidering the blades' sharp edges.

The casing 36 covers at least partially the bladed cylinder 38 forstopping projections of stones or particles present in the grass. Itprevents injuries for people or damages for the mower itself.

The cutting unit 6 also comprises an engine 42 that rotates the bladedcylinder 38. The engine may be placed laterally, outside the casing 36.It may be driven electrically or hydraulically. The engine 36 is pluggedby wires or pressure ducts (not represented). The wires or the pressureducts may extend inside the beams 10.

The cutting unit also comprises rolling means like a roller 44. Therolling means are adapted to engage the ground in a cuttingconfiguration. They are configured for bearing at least the weight ofthe corresponding cutting unit 6. The rolling means permit to maintainan even cutting eight. They avoid cutting turf too shortly. The rollingmeans may comprise a single roller 44 disposed in a rear or in a frontposition of cutting unit 6. The rolling means may eventually comprise afront roller and a rear roller. Each roller 44 extends transversally onthe majority of the bladed cylinder 38, preferably at least on the wholewidth of the bladed cylinder 38. The roller 44 is designed forwithstanding chocks due to a stone lying in the grass.

The weight of the cutting unit is superior to 10 kg. The cutting unit 6may be heavier than 30 kg. The cutting unit 6 may be heavier than 60 kg.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present application, thecutting unit may comprise a horizontal blade turning around a verticalaxis. This horizontal blade may replace the cylinder.

The cutting unit 6 is linked to a beam of the mower. The mower compriseslift means that link the cutting unit 6 to the beam 10. The lift meansmay be articulating means. The lift means are configured forarticulating the cutting unit 6 between a mowing position, in which theroller 44 may engage the ground, and a non-mowing position in which theroller is above the ground. Preferably, in the non-mowing position theroller is above the ground of at least 5 cm, preferably of at least 15cm, more preferably of at least 40 cm.

The lift means comprise a crank 46 linked to the beam 10 and to thecasing 36 of the cutting unit 6. Each extremity of the crank 46 presentsa pivot link. Each pivot link essentially comprises a single degree offreedom. The pivot axis of each pivot link is preferably longitudinallyoriented. The cutting unit 6 is free to rotate at the extremity of thecrank 46. Then, it may flip in order to follow the shape of the groundwhen the mower is going on. This feature is interesting when the groundshows concave or convex surfaces

The lift means also comprise an actuator 48. The actuator 48 may beactivated electrically or hydraulically. The actuator 48 may be a linearactuator, preferably a linear hydraulic actuator. The actuator 48 may belinked to the crank 46 at one end and to the beam at the other end.

The lift means are configured for applying a load on the cutting unit 6.Then, the beam 10 and more generally the mower rely on the roller 44 ofthe cutting unit 6.

In an advantageous aspect of the present application, the mowercomprises a plurality of lift means. Each cutting unit 6 is linked tothe frame throw independent lift means. Independent lift means areconfigured for applying a load on each cutting unit 6. Then the frame'sweight is distributed on all rollers of the cutting units. In the casedrawn on FIG. 1, the frame's weight is distributed on 16.00 m width. Allrollers act as a single roller that engages the ground and supports themowers. Since the mower's wheels are longitudinally placed in thevicinity of the roller, the pressure applied by the wheels on the groundis reduced. In the case where the mower is an implement directly mountedon the frame of a tractor, the rollers will be able to support a part ofthe weight of the tractor.

We claim:
 1. A mower, comprising: a frame; two beams pivotally mountedon the frame so as to be foldable from a “V” mowing configuration to aposition along a longitudinal axis of the frame; at least eight cuttingunits generally disposed side by side; and means linking the cuttingunits to the beams; wherein the frame forms the structure of a trailercomprising: a longitudinal elongate portion with a front end and a rearend, the beams being pivotally mounted to the rear end.
 2. Moweraccording to claim 1, wherein the means linking the cutting units to thebeams are lift means configured for moving the cutting units between amowing position to a non-mowing position.
 3. Mower according to claim 1,wherein the cutting units are reel mowing cutting units with a set ofhelicoidally blades.
 4. Mower according to claim 2, wherein the liftmeans link independently each cutting unit to the beams.
 5. Moweraccording to claim 2, wherein the lift means comprise: at least onecrank linked to one of the beams and to one of the cutting units. 6.Mower according to claim 2, wherein the lift means comprise: a pluralityof actuators, each of which being linked to one of the beams anddirectly or indirectly to one of the cutting units.
 7. Mower accordingto claim 1, wherein the majority of the cutting units are disposed inorder to transversally overlap their closest neighbor.
 8. Moweraccording to claim 1, wherein each of the beams comprise: a lateralportion and a central portion which are aligned in the mowingconfiguration, and in the transport configuration, the lateral portionof each beam is folded back over the top of the corresponding centralportion.
 9. Mower according to claim 1, further comprising: a set ofwheels rotatably mounted on the frame in the vicinity of the rear end ofthe frame.
 10. Mower according to claim 1, wherein the frame comprises:a hub to which the beams are linked; and a raise mechanism for liftingthe hub from the mowing configuration to the transport configuration.11. Mower according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the cuttingunits is linked to the raise mechanism and/or at least one of thecutting units is linked to the hub.